While businesses owned by minorities make up a small share ofall businesses in the United States, their numbers have been on therise.

According to the SBA Office of Advocacy, the rate of minority busi­nessownership in 2012 was 14.6%, compared with 11.5% in 2007.

Black business owners made up 49.9% of all minority owners in2012, while Asians made up 29.6% The Hispanic share of all U.S.business owners was 10.3% that year, compared with 8.3% in 2007.This increase reflects the fast growth of the Hispanic labor force,spurred by overall population growth and increased immigration, theSBA said.

Meanwhile, women-owned businesses had virtually no change inmarket share between 2007 and 2012, the agency noted. In2012, 36.0% of business owners were women, similar to their 2007share of 35.9%.

The SBA found that business owners tended to be older thannon-business owners. In 2012, the age makeup of business owners wasshifting toward the older age groups. Between 2007 and 2012, those50 and over had an increase from 46% to 50.9%.

The proportion of owners age 35 to 49 decreased from 38.8% to33.2%, according to the SBA.

“This may reflect the unprecedented withdrawal of prime ageworkers from the labor market – a cyclical condition which couldreverse as the labor market recovery solidifies. The share ofyounger business owners is hold­ing steady,” the SBA said.

In 2012, 15.9% of busi­ness owners were under age 35, a slightincrease from 15.2% in 2007.

Regarding business ownership, the SBA said entrepreneurs weremore likely to have attended college, be homeowners, married andlived in metropolitan areas.